Combination dump and spreader apparatus

ABSTRACT

A vehicle including a combination body for selectively dumping and spreading materials. The vehicle includes, at least, a chassis and a body pivotably secured to the chassis at a hinge. The body is comprised of front and rear ends having upper and lower edges and first and second side walls having lower edges. A hoist is provided which extends between the body and the chassis for pivoting the body about the hinge. A conveyor assembly is also included, the assembly comprising an endless conveyor disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the lower edges of the side walls and extending beyond the rear end of the body; a tailgate pivotably connected to the rear end of the body and having an opening therein to permit material to be transported therethrough by the endless conveyor, the tailgate being selectively pivotable with respect to the body about a lower axis disposed adjacent the lower edge of the tailgate or about an upper axis disposed adjacent the top edge of the tailgate; a cover assembly extending rearwardly from the tailgate which is pivotably attached to the tailgate at a pivot axis, wherein the cover assembly rotates about the pivot axis upon contact with the conveyor assembly when the tailgate pivots about the lower axis; and a spreader cooperating with the conveyor assembly for spreading the material.

This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/116,663, filed on Apr.4, 2002 U S. Pat. No. 6,585,472, which is a division of Ser. No.09/822,538, filed Mar. 30, 2001 U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,735, which is adivision of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/256,053 filed Feb 23,1999, now abandoned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a combination dump andspreader apparatus which, when mounted onto a vehicle chassis, providesfor selective dumping and spreading of material from the apparatus,advantageously granular material such as sand, salt and the like, ontosurfaces such as roadways.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many types of vehicles are available with an apparatus mounted thereonwhich provide for both the dumping and spreading of material; such assand, salt, gravel, asphalt and the like, onto a surface. One type ofapparatus which provides this dual functionality is commonly referred toas a combination body. Combination bodies are so named because theyprovide, in combination, both dumping and spreading functions. Examplesof combination bodies are provided by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,400,974 and5,772,389.

In general, combination bodies are pivotally mounted onto the chassis ofa vehicle, typically a truck chassis. Although the bodies can be mountedso as to pivot in one or more directions, the most common mountingarrangement provides a hinge mechanism on the rear of the body and ahydraulic cylinder on the front of the body, wherein movement of thecylinder causes the body to pivot about the rear hinge mechanism. Thispivoting movement provides the bodies with the ability to dump materialfrom the rear of the bodies.

Conventional combination bodies further include a conveyor system thattransports material residing within the body out of the body and intoone or more spreaders mounted on the exterior of the vehicle. Suchconveyor systems typically include a longitudinal endless conveyorlocated within the body that transports the material from the front tothe rear of the body or, alternatively, from the rear to the front ofthe body. The former situation typically results in a deposit of thematerial into a conventional spreader mounted on the rear of thevehicle. In the latter situation, however, the material is transportedout of the front of the body, through a gate, and onto another part ofthe conveyor system—a cross-conveyor, mounted on the chassis, andlocated adjacent the front of the body. The cross-conveyor in turntransports the material laterally to the sides of the vehicle, anddeposits the material into conventional side-mounted spreaders. When across-conveyor is included, the body is typically elevated relative tothe cross-conveyor, and thus the chassis, so the material falls downwardonto the cross-conveyor, this providing for the complete transfer ofmaterial from the body to the cross-conveyor.

The endless conveyor is typically driven by a permanently mountedreversible motor located at either the front of the body, oralternatively by two motors mounted at both the front and rear of thebody. An example of the latter arrangement is provided in U.S. Pat. No.5,400,974.

Conventional combination bodies also include a tailgate that covers therear of the body. As the tailgate is pivotally-mounted at the uppercorners of the body, the tailgate can pivot into an open position whenit is desired to utilize the dumping functionality of the body. Certaintailgates are also pivotally-mounted at the lower corners of the bodies,allowing the tailgate to be lowered to assist in cleaning and rearloading.

The tailgates of those conventional bodies further include at least oneopening therethrough, with a second opening often provided in the frontof the body. The openings provide a means by which the material, upontransport by the endless conveyor, can be expelled from the front andthe rear of the body. When spreading is desired, one of both of theopenings can be selectively opened or closed by operation of a feed gatemounted so as to cover the opening. The feed gate further provides ameans for metering the flow of material through the opening, and intothe cross-conveyor or rear-mounted spreader. Upon being expelled fromthe body through the tailgate opening, the material is directed into therear spreader at least in part by a cover affixed to the tailgate.

Various cover designs have been utilized in combination bodies. Onecommon type extends forward, into the body itself, and is designed tocollapse when the tailgate is lowered. This type of cover, however, hasheretofore only been used in bodies wherein the conveyor residescompletely within the confines of the body. Another type of coverextends rearwardly from and is affixed to the tailgate. This cover,utilized in bodies wherein the endless conveyor extends rearward of thetailgate, is located above and adjacent to the tailgate opening, and ispermanently affixed in this position.

While existing combination dump and spreader bodies provide manydesirable features and advantages, there remain certain problems withthese combination bodies. For example, and as mentioned previously, onetype of combination body includes an endless conveyor that extendsbeyond the tailgate. When such an extended endless conveyor is utilized,any rearwardly-extending cover that is affixed to the tailgateinterferes with and precludes the lowering of a tailgate that ispivotally-mounted at the lower corners of the body. This lack of pivotcapability along the lower edge of the tailgate of these bodiesinterferes with rear loading and clean-out of the body. While theforward-extending cover allows the tailgate to be lowered, its design iscomplex, and its forward-extending position does not adequately addressthe material flow issues presented by an endless conveyor that extendsrearward of the tailgate.

In addition, the inclusion of a complex conveyor assembly that includesboth an endless conveyor and a cross-conveyor typically requires thebody to be mounted higher on the chassis as compared to dump bodieswithout a cross-conveyor. While this mounting arrangement provides fordesired gravity feed of material from the endless conveyor onto thecross-conveyor, this arrangement also provides an the vehicle with arelatively high center of gravity when compared to dump bodies with thesame capacity but without a cross-conveyor. Vehicles with a high centerof gravity are not desirable because of the associated adverse effect onvehicle handling.

Another issue with conventional bodies is that there exists noflexibility in adapting the conveyor drive mechanism to addressdifferences in customer needs, either during production or afterdelivery.

In view of the foregoing, there exists various needs in the art. Onesuch need is for a combination body which provides both thefunctionality of a cross-conveyor and a relatively low center of gravitywithout unduly compromising the material holding volume. A further needexists for a simple means by which conventional rear loading andcleaning of a combination body can be undertaken when the body includesan endless conveyor that protrudes beyond the tailgate and arearwardly-extending cover. An additional need is for a combination bodythat provides for ready adaptation of the conveyor system to meetchanging customer requirements, both in the manufacturing process andafter delivery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention addresses the foregoing and other needs byproviding a combination body for selectively dumping and spreadingmaterials. In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided avehicle including a combination body for selectively dumping andspreading materials. The vehicle includes, at least, a chassis and abody pivotably secured to the chassis at a hinge. The body is comprisedof front and rear ends having upper and lower edges and first and secondside walls having lower edges. A hoist is provided which extends betweenthe body and the chassis for pivoting the body about the hinge. Aconveyor assembly is also included, the assembly comprising an endlessconveyor disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the lower edges ofthe side walls and extending beyond the rear end of the body; a tailgatepivotably connected to the rear end of the body and having an openingtherein to permit material to be transported therethrough by the endlessconveyor, the tailgate being selectively pivotable with respect to thebody about a lower axis disposed adjacent the lower edge of the tailgateor about an upper axis disposed adjacent the top edge of the tailgate; acover assembly extending rearwardly from the tailgate which is pivotablyattached to the tailgate at a pivot axis, wherein the cover assemblyrotates about the pivot axis upon contact with the conveyor assemblywhen the tailgate pivots about the lower axis; and a spreadercooperating with the conveyor assembly for spreading the material.

In another aspect of the present invention, a combination body isprovided with a conveyor assembly that comprises a cross-conveyorlocated adjacent the front end of the aforesaid body having an upperouter surface that extends along a cross-axis and an endless conveyorhaving an upper surface disposed adjacent to at least a portion of thebottom edges of the side walls. In this aspect, the upper surface of theendless conveyor is located at substantially the same level as or lowerthan the upper outer surface of the cross-conveyor.

A further aspect of the present invention provides a combination bodywith a conveyor assembly comprising an endless conveyor disposedadjacent to at least a portion of the bottom edge of each side wall, theendless conveyor comprising an endless carrier entrained around frontand rear sprockets, and at least three positions which provide for theremovable mounting of at least one motor in any of those positions,wherein the at least one motor, when so mounted, is drivingly connectedto the sprockets.

Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a combination bodyhaving two side walls, wherein at least one of the side walls comprisesupper and lower

surfaces. In this aspect, the upper surface is planar and oriented in asubstantially vertical position and the lower portion is planar andextends upwardly from the bottom edge of the side wall toward the uppersurface at an angle of from about 10 degrees to about 50 degrees fromhorizontal.

The foregoing and other aims, objectives, and features of the inventionwill become more apparent from the following detailed description whenreviewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a combination body mounted onto a vehicle inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of the tailgate used in the vehicle ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged rear view of the tailgate shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top view of the conveyor assembly used in thevehicle of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the conveyor assembly shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 taken about line 6—6 of FIG.4.

FIG. 7 is a rear view of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 with the tailgateremoved.

FIG. 8 is an alternative embodiment of the vehicle shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is the same view as FIG. 1, but with the front of the body in araised position and the tailgate pivoted about an upper axis.

FIG. 10 is the same view as FIG. 1, but with the tailgate in a loweredposition, having been pivoted about a lower axis.

FIG. 11 is another alternative embodiment of the vehicle shown in FIG.7.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, certain illustrative embodiments thereof havebeen shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit theinvention to the specific forms disclosed in this written description.On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,alternative constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the written description andappended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, a vehicle 20 having a combined dump and spreaderapparatus, also known as a combination body, for dumping or spreadingmaterials is illustrated in accordance with a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention. The vehicle 20 includes a chassis 22 and acombination body 24 mounted onto the vehicle chassis for holdingmaterials. The body 24 has a front end 26, a rear end 28 and a pair ofside walls 30, 32 extending transversely therebetween. The body 24 issecured to the chassis 22 about a pivot axis 34 which extendsperpendicular to the length of the body 24. More specifically, the body24 is connected to the chassis 22 by a hinge 35 which allows forpivoting movement about the pivot axis 34.

A tailgate 36 is provided at the rear end 28 of the body 24 and extendstransversely between side walls 30, 32. The tailgate 36 is secured tothe body 24 at an upper pivot axis 38 and a lower pivot axis 40, bothaxes 38, 40 being perpendicular to the length of the body 24. When thetailgate 36 is secured at both axes 38, 40, the tailgate 36 generallyprevents material in the body 24 from exiting the rear end 28 thereof.As will be explained in more detail, the tailgate 36 may be releasedfrom the upper pivot axis 38 and pivoted about the lower pivot axis 40,thereby providing for ease in cleaning and rear loading of the body.Alternatively, the tailgate 36 may be released from the lower pivot axis40 and pivoted about the upper pivot axis 38 when dumping is desired. Ifdesired, the tailgate 36 may also be removed from the rear end 28 of thebody 24.

To provide for the upper pivot axis 38, the tailgate 36 includes sidesupport flanges 86 at its upper end that cooperate with the side walls30, 32 for securing the tailgate 36 on the rear end 28 of the body 24.The support flanges 86 include holes 88 for slidably receiving pins topivotably connect the tailgate 36 to the body 24 about the upper pivotaxis 38. The tailgate 36 also includes pins 92 affixed to its lower endthat extend outwards toward the side walls 30, 32. The pins 92 can bepivotably secured to mounts 94 on the body 24 to provide for pivotmovement about the lower pivot axis 40 of the tailgate 36.

The vehicle 20 includes a hoist 42 which typically includes a hydrauliccylinder 44 connected between the body 24 and the chassis 22 at somepoint forward the pivot axis 34 of the body 24. The hoist 42 is operableto pivot the front end 26 on the hinge 35 about the pivot axis 34 from alowered position, as seen in FIG. 1, to a raised position, as seen inFIG. 9. While the tailgate 36 may remain secured during spreading, thepins 92 may be released prior to or during movement of the body 24 toallow the tailgate 36 to pivot about its upper pivot axis 38 tofacilitate dumping of material from the body 24 as seen in FIG. 9.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4-6, there is provided a conveyor assembly 46which includes an endless conveyor 56 on the floor of the body 24 and across-conveyor 54. As depicted in these figures, the endless conveyor 56extends from the cross-conveyor 54 towards and past the rear end 28 ofthe body 24 and tailgate 36. While the endless conveyor can be providedin a variety of configurations, including but not limited to an auger,the preferred embodiment is illustrated and described herein.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the endless conveyor56 includes a carrier 60 entrained around front and rear sprockets 62,63. The carrier 60 further includes first and second spaced apartparallel chains 64, 65 entrained directly on respective sprockets 62, 63and a plurality of slats or bars 66 extending transversely between thefirst and second chains 64, 65. The bars 66 are configured to engagematerial in the body 24 and carry the material towards the front end 26or alternatively toward the rear end 28 of the body 24.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, and as bestshown in FIG. 4, the body is provided with at least three 69 a, 69 b, 69c, and advantageously at least four 69 d, positions which allow one ormore motors 70 (or gearcase-motor combination) to be removably mountedin any of the one or more positions on the body. The provision of thesepositions, and the provision for removable mounting of the motors,allows for ready adaptation of the body to a variety ofcustomer-requested configurations, at the factory or at a customer'sfacility. For example, and depending upon anticipated needs, a customermay desire that the endless conveyor be driven only in the rearwarddirection. In such a case, one or optionally two motors may be removablymounted at the rear of the body. If that customer later desires toeither have the conveyor move forward only, or to both the front andrear, one motor may be added to the front of the body, or one of therear mounted motors may be removed and located at the front of the body.The provision of a variety of motor mounts also provides manufacturingflexibility, wherein only one body configuration need be providedregardless of the number of motors desired by the customer. Theremovable mounting of the motors may be accomplished by the use of anyknown fastening device, with nut and bolt fastening being preferred.

When the motors are removably mounted in the aforedescribed positions,they are drivingly connected to the front 62 and rear 63 sprockets ofthe endless conveyor 56. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 4-6, theendless conveyor 56 is driven by least one and preferably at least twomotors 71 mounted at the front of the body, preferably adjacent 69 a, 69d, the front sprocket 62, and at least one and preferably at least twomotors 70 mounted at the rear of the body, preferably adjacent 69 b, 69c, the rear sprocket 63 of the endless conveyor 56. In this exemplaryconfiguration, a controller 72 is connected to the front and rear motors70, 71 for selectively operating the motors 70, 71. The motors 70, 71may include one or more gearcases 68. In such a situation, the gearcaseis in mechanical engagement with the sprockets, with one or more motorsin turn being in mechanical engagement with a respective gearcase.Direct drive motors may also be advantageously used to drive thesprockets.

A controller 72 is also provided in this preferred embodiment (see FIG.4) for activating the front motors 71 to drive the carrier 60 in onedirection, preferably to the front end of the body 24, and foractivating the rear motors 70 to drive the carrier 60 in the oppositedirection. Preferably, the controller 72 activates only one pair ofmotors at a time and, therefore, when the front motors 71 are operating,the rear motors 70 are not operating, and vice-versa. An alternativeembodiment provides for the activation of both front and rear motorssimultaneously to drive the carrier 60. One advantage of this mode ofoperation is that the top 74 of the carrier 60 is always being pulledrather than pushed, the former providing for more efficient powering ofthe endless conveyor 56. This mode also assists in maintaining the top74 of the carrier 60 in tension. Adjustable tension devices 75 may beincorporated to provide for ready adjustment of the tension in thecarrier 60, thus maintaining efficient transfer of motion from themotors to the sprockets and ultimately to the carrier 60.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the tailgate 36 has slidably mountedthereon a feed gate 80 over the opening 58. The feed gate 80 isselectively positioned by a control handle 82 to control the size of theopening 58 in the tailgate 36. The feed gate 80 may also close theopening 58 wherein the bottom edge 84 of the tailgate rests on or isdisposed just above the carrier 60. A feed gate of similar function (notshown) may be provided at the front of the body over an opening thereinto provide a degree of control over the expulsion of material from thefront of the body and onto the cross-conveyor.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 9 illustrate a rear exposed portion 76. This rear portionincludes what may be referred to as an asphalt lip 77 (see FIGS. 2 and9) which extends generally substantially horizontally rearward and belowthe tailgate 36, and a portion of the endless conveyor 56 that projectsout beyond the rear of the body and beyond the tailgate 36. The asphaltlip has a variety of functions, one of which, in the preferredembodiment, is the provision of a platform onto which the rear removablemotor mounts may be located. It further provides a stable structurecapable of supporting the rear sprocket of the endless conveyor 56.Advantageously, the lip 77 should extend at least six inches rearward ofthe body, preferably at least about 12 inches, and most preferably atleast about 18 inches. It is further preferred that the asphalt lip 77extend rearward to at least the same extent as the endless conveyor 56.The surface of the asphalt lip 77 will typically slope downward no morethan about 20°, advantageously no more than about 15°, and preferably nomore than about 10°, from horizontal to assist in the removal ofmaterial from the body. Most preferably, the lip 77 will slope no morethan about 5°, and should be configured to accommodate paving equipment.

The endless conveyor which forms part of the rear exposed portion 76 maybe located either below the lower edge of the tailgate 36 or,preferably, pass through the opening 58 in the tailgate 36. As shown inFIG. 1, a conventional rear mounted spreader 96 may be supported by thebody 24 or chassis 22. The spreader 96 is preferably supported by thebody 24, however, in order to maintain the relative orientation betweenthe body 24 and spreader 96 when the body is raised while spreading. Thespreader is oriented to receive material that falls from the end of theendless conveyor 56. In order to assist in properly positioning thematerial on the endless conveyor as it leaves the tailgate opening, anddirecting the material downwardly onto the rear spreader 96, a cover 98is secured to the tailgate 36. The cover 98 extends at least partiallyover the portion of the endless conveyor 56 that extends beyond thetailgate 34, and is preferably configured as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and3 to assist in providing the foregoing functions.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the cover 98is pivotably connected to the tailgate 36. More specifically, the cover98 includes a pair of arms 104 that have one end pivotably connected tothe tailgate 36 for pivoting movement about a pivot axis 105, andanother end affixed to the plate extension 100. As shown in the figures,the pivot axis 105 is preferably disposed above the opening 58 in thetailgate 36, but could be disposed in any location which provides forthe advantageous functions set forth herein. In this preferredembodiment, the cover 98 can be pivoted about its pivot axis 105 from adown or lower position, as shown in FIG. 1, to an elevated position, asshown in FIG. 10. As further shown in FIG. 10, the cover 98 may belatched in the elevated position to the tailgate 36. While any latchingmechanism may be used, FIG. 2 depicts the cover 98 having a tab 106 thatmay be latched to an ear 108 on the tailgate 36 by a pin and holemechanism 110. In the lower position, shown in FIG. 1, the cover 98 isgenerally held in place by gravity, but could also be latched in placeif desired. Upon operation, the weight of the cover 98 is typicallysufficient to resist the force of the expelled material from the endlessconveyor 56 such that the cover 98 stays in the lower position.

One important advantage of the pivoting cover 98 is that it permits thetailgate 36 to be lowered from the closed position of FIG. 1, to alowered or open position as shown in FIG. 10, without interferencebetween the cover 98 and the endless conveyor 56. The tailgate 36 may beheld in this lowered position by chains 112 as shown in FIG. 10. Duringpivoting movement from the closed position shown in FIG. 1 to that inFIG. 10, the cover 98 will contact the rear portion 76 of the endlessconveyor 56 which causes the cover 98 to pivot out of the way of therear portion 76. Preferably, the cover 36 may be manually pivoted upwardand latched to the tailgate through the pin and hole mechanism 110 inthat elevated position before pivoting the tailgate 36 to the downposition shown in FIG. 10.

Turning now to the conveyor assembly 46 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and4-6, the assembly 46, which includes the endless conveyor 56, mayfurther include a cross-conveyor 54 extending laterally outward towardthe sides of the vehicle 20 along a cross-axis 57, and function todeposit material into conventional side-mounted spreaders 55. While thecross-conveyor 56 is illustrated in these figures in its preferred formas an auger 120, it may alternatively be provided in the form of aconventional conveyor belt or chain system, with the top surface of thebelt or chain defining the upper outer surface of the cross-conveyor.The cross-conveyor is preferably mounted onto the chassis 22.

The preferred auger 120 includes a central shaft 122 extending normal tothe length of the body 24 journaled in bearings 124 for rotation. Ahelical screw 125 having an upper outer perimeter, or outer surface,surrounds the periphery of the shaft 122 for engaging material andtransporting material towards first and second discharge ports 126, 128at respective ends of the auger 120. While the screw 125 is shown ashaving the same hand threading throughout for alternatively distributingmaterial to the first and second discharge ports 126, 128, it may alsoinclude opposing sets of threads, one hand on each half of the shaft122, for simultaneously distributing material to both discharge ports126, 128. Each discharge port 126, 128 is designed to feed material intoa side mounted spreader 55. The shaft 122 is coupled to a drive motor130 which powers the auger 120, the speed and, optionally the direction,of the drive motor being selectively controllable by the operator.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the uppersurface of the endless conveyor 56 is located at substantially the samevertical elevation or lower than the upper outer surface of thecross-conveyor. The endless conveyor 56 is at substantially the samelevel as the upper outer surface of the cross-conveyor when a horizontalplane simultaneously intersects both a portion of the cross-conveyor anda portion of the endless conveyor 56. In the preferred auger embodiment,as depicted in FIG. 6, the upper outer surface of cross-conveyor is theouter periphery, or top edge 132, of the helical screw 125 of the auger120. In particular, and preferably, the outer top edge 132 is preferablydisposed above the bottom return side 134 of the carrier 60, and morepreferably above the axis of rotation of the front sprockets 62, whilethe top side 74 of the endless conveyor 56 is preferably above thebottom edge 136 of the helical screw 125 of the auger 120 and, morepreferably, above the drive shaft 122 of the auger 120. At least aportion of the cross-conveyor should be disposed in relation to the body24 to ensure the transfer of the material from the interior of the bodyonto the cross-conveyor.

The foregoing configuration between the cross-conveyor and endlessconveyor advantageously provides for a center of gravity that isrelatively lower than existing bodies having both such conveyors,without unduly sacrificing total body capacity. The lower center ofgravity provides the vehicle with better handling, allowing the vehicleto make sharper turns at higher speeds than existing bodies with theaforesaid two conveyors.

Extending outwardly from the outer edges 51, 52 of the endless conveyor56 are side walls 30, 32 of the body 24. These side walls include upperportions 47, 48 that extend substantially vertically upward (withinabout 10 degrees from vertical) and which advantageously terminate in aboxed configuration, and lower portions 49, 50 that extend from theupper portions downward and inward toward the outer edges 51, 52 of theendless conveyor 56. Although FIG. 7 illustrates side walls 30, 32having an elliptical configuration, these walls may alternatively beprovided in other curved or non-curved configurations. Examples of otherside wall configurations that may be utilized in combination with thevarious aspects of the present invention include rectangular or square,inclined, constant radius (i.e., circular or semi-circular), or variableradius (e.g., elliptical) configurations. One example of such analternative is shown in FIG. 8. In this figure, the side walls 30, 32include intersecting upper 47, 48 and lower 49, 50 planar portions. FIG.11 illustrates a further alternative embodiment, wherein the upper 47,48 and lower 49, 50 planar portions of the side walls are joined by anintermediate curved portion. When such planar portions are utilized inthe side walls, at least the lower portions are advantageously inclinedfrom the horizontal so as to provide at least some assistance indirecting the material in the body downward toward the endless conveyor56. Advantageously, the angle of inclination of the lower portion fromhorizontal should be between about 10 and 50 degrees, and is preferablybetween about 15 and 30 degrees. In any event, the entirety of the sidewalls 30, 32 are configured to provide the desired body capacity anddurability, and to assist in directing material in the body 24 inwardtoward the endless conveyor 56 to facilitate spreading.

All of the references cited herein, including patents, patentapplications and publications are hereby incorporated in theirentireties by reference.

While this invention has been described with an emphasis upon preferredembodiments, it will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the artthat variations of the preferred embodiments may be used and that it isintended that the invention may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically described herein. Accordingly, this invention includes allmodifications encompassed within the spirit and the scope of theinvention as defined by the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vehicle for selectively dumping and spreadingmaterials, the vehicle comprising: a chassis; a body pivotably securedto the chassis at a hinge, the body having front and rear ends and firstand second side walls having bottom edges; a hoist extending between thebody and the chassis for pivoting the body about the hinge; a conveyorassembly disposed between the side walls of the body and extendingbeyond the rear end of the body; a tailgate pivotably connected to therear end of the body, the tailgate having a bottom edge and a top edge,the tailgate being selectively pivotable with respect to the body abouta lower axis disposed adjacent the bottom edge of the tailgate or aboutan upper axis disposed adjacent the top edge of the tailgate, thetailgate including an opening therein to permit material to betransported therethrough by the conveyor assembly; and a cover assemblyextending rearwardly from the tailgate which is pivotably attached tothe tailgate at a pivot axis, wherein the cover assembly rotates aboutthe pivot axis upon contact with the conveyor assembly when the tailgatepivots about the lower axis.
 2. The vehicle according to claim 1 whereinthe conveyor assembly comprises an endless conveyor.
 3. The vehicle ofclaim 1 wherein the pivot axis of the cover assembly is located abovethe tailgate opening.
 4. The vehicle of claim 3 wherein the tailgateincludes a latch which is configured to maintain the cover in a fixedposition after the cover is moved to a position above the pivot axis. 5.The vehicle of claim 1 wherein at least one side wall comprises upperand lower surfaces, wherein the upper surface is planar and oriented ina substantially vertical position and the lower portion is planar andextends upwardly from the bottom edge of the side wall toward the uppersurface at an angle of from about 10 degrees to about 50 degrees fromhorizontal.
 6. The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the lower surface of theat least one side wall extends upwardly from the bottom edge of the sidewall at an angle of from about 15 degrees to about 30 degrees fromhorizontal, the side wall further comprising a curved portionintermediate to and joining the upper and lower portions of the sidewall.